Water can burn when 'charged up' with batteries?

In summary, a popular video online shows a person putting two batteries in a glass of water for 30 minutes and then removing them, causing the water to light on fire. However, many people are skeptical of this claim and have tried to reproduce the experiment with no success. Some believe that the video is fake and that the liquid in the glass is actually alcohol, not water. Others suggest that the batteries may have been tampered with to create the illusion of the water burning. Regardless, it is clear that the experiment does not actually work and should not be attempted.
  • #1
-RA-
89
0
i found this online, he puts two batteries in a glass of water for 30 minutes, then removes the batteries, and the water lights with a flame. Its been favorited by 6000 people so it seems to be popular. How does that work? i presume that its a type of electrolysis?

EDIT: DOES NOT WORK!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I am highly, highly skeptical that it is actually water burning.
Due to the simplicity of this ‘experiment’, it is very easy to reproduce it oneself and disprove the claim.

I think the video may be a fake.
On video, water and alcohol look identical, so it would be easy to claim it is water in the cup when, in fact, it is alcohol.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
mrjeffy321 said:
I am highly, highly skeptical that it is actually water burning.
Due to the simplicity of this ‘experiment’, it is very easy to reproduce oneself and disprove it.

I think the video may be a fake.
On video, water and alcohol look identical, so it would be easy to claim it is water in the cup when, in fact, it is alcohol.

good point! this should have gone in the debunking section. I'll try to reproduce it, but I'm not optomistic anything will happen.
 
  • #4
I have another theory. If you notice, in the video, he specifically states to leave the batteries in the water for thirty to forty minutes. And if I'm right, the batteries which were shown on the video were energizer, which cannot be charged, for they have a chance of exploding or catching on fire. What if the water soaked through the outer covering of the batteries and dissolved the acids in the batteries? then that would certainly enable the water to "burn" for a few seconds. He might have even added more batteries and left them in, increasing the potentiality for the water to "burn" before he filmed the stunt and put it online. Then, all he had to do was do the short version: Fill a glass of water and put two batteries in it. Then, stop recording, switch it with the "charged" glass of water and add two batteries, start filming again, remove the two batteries, and light it on fire.
 
  • #5
It does not work, i looked it up elsewhere, and if you read the comments loads just say 'does not work'.

Think how many people have wasted batteries trying this, its only been up a week and its had over 1,300,000 views :biggrin:, i got pretty close to trying it myself.
 
Last edited:
  • #6
This is a hoax. Moving to skepticism/debunking, but I'm not even sure that's necessary.

I don't watch a lot of YouTube, but is there a lot of this type of thing there? This isn't the first YouTube science experiment hoax we've seen.
 
  • #7
Haven't you ever heard of firewater? :biggrin:

Yes, it is alcohol.
 

1. Can water really burn when charged with batteries?

Yes, water can burn when charged up with batteries. This process is known as electrolysis and it involves splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gas using an electric current.

2. How does water burn with batteries?

Water burns with batteries through a chemical reaction called electrolysis. When an electric current is passed through water, it breaks down the water molecules into their component elements - hydrogen and oxygen gas.

3. Is it safe to burn water with batteries?

The process of burning water with batteries is generally safe, but precautions should be taken as the gases produced (hydrogen and oxygen) are highly flammable. It is important to handle the batteries and electricity carefully to avoid any accidents.

4. What kind of batteries are needed to make water burn?

Any type of battery can be used to burn water, as long as it is connected to an electric circuit. However, for safety reasons, it is recommended to use low voltage batteries such as 9V or AA batteries.

5. What are the practical applications of burning water with batteries?

The process of burning water with batteries has several practical applications such as in hydrogen fuel cells and water splitting for producing clean energy. It can also be used in experiments to demonstrate the process of electrolysis and to generate hydrogen and oxygen gas for various purposes.

Similar threads

What could be draining the car battery and how can it be fixed?
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
8
Views
854
B Where Do Electrons Go When a Battery Loses Charge?
    • Other Physics Topics
Replies
22
Views
3K
"Magic" AA batteries in a home device?
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
15
Views
2K
How can I (safely) test this "toy" machine?
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
32
Views
1K
Float charging batteries: what really happens?
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
7
Views
1K
System design for charging battery from turbine alternator
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
8
Views
982
Implausible multiple failures in my gas central heating system
    • General Discussion
Replies
9
Views
1K
Can we extract energy out of a capacitor in the ocean?
    • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
3K
Heating water from room temp up to 60C using 9V battery
    • Electrical Engineering
Replies
8
Views
5K
Electronics How to test whether the circuit board in a UPS still works?
    • DIY Projects
Replies
16
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top